Food Market
by Boriqua-chan
Summary: How could he be expected to pay attention to Sakura when tomatoes were right across from him? He wanted those tomatoes.


_**Happy birthday, Sasuke, my boy! Love you lots, babe.**_

**:: ::**

Sasuke's hands were shoved into his pockets; he was leaning back on the balls of his feet, standing next to Sakura in an outdoor food market, eying the ripe red tomatoes across from the current booth he was at. They were ripe and happy, begging to be bitten. They were distracting, which he imagined Sakura found insufferable, as she was complaining about something right now. He really couldn't bring himself to pay attention.

"Why is it that whenever we go on a long-term mission we manage to run out of food?" the rosette was grumbling. "Can't we just ever pack enough food?" She sighed, crossing her arms and surveying what the food market had to offer. This village was a ways away from where they'd camped; anyone who saw them would think nothing other than _Is that pink hair?_ They were still traveling to their destination, but the safer the better. "And why is it that Kakashi always sends _you_ with me?" she complained. She tsked, copying Sasuke's version to the very curl of her lip, unknowingly.

Sasuke knew Sakura was talking; any other day he would be paying rapt attention, afraid to be knocked unconscious by an unexpected punch for _not_ listening. He also found it embarrassingly fascinating to watch her pert pink lips press together as she spoke. Not that he was telling anyone _that_. But, currently, something other than the green-eyed k_unoichi_ demanded his attention. _Plump, ripe, red tomatoes. _

By the end of her miniature rant, Sakura seemed to notice that something else had the Uchiha's attention. His onyx eyes were staring across the outdoor market with an expression not often seen on his face: _Longing_. Curious, she turned followed his gaze to, of course, the tomatoes. Sakura giggled. _Of course_. Well. If he wanted them so bad, he would have them.

Eventually.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

Whatever Sakura found fitting. After all, she did have the wad of money in her hand. Kakashi hadn't trusted Sasuke with any of it, knowing that if they came across the red fruit, they would have to eat tomatoes for the rest of their week-long journey. And Naruto wasn't a big tomato fan. They would have to listen to Naruto bellyache about missing his precious, _precious _ramen. If _that_ happened, Sakura was sure she, Kakashi, Sai, and Sasuke would team up to kill the blonde. And no one would care because _goddammit_, listening to Naruto grumble about ramen was enough to drive anyone to insanity.

Sakura smirked. "Hey, Sasuke," she said, pressing her hand to Sasuke's arm in order to get his attention. When said Uchiha stopped drooling over the tomatoes and turned his attention to his teammate, Sakura pointed to the leeks. They were painfully close to the tomatoes. "We need leaches. Come on."

Sasuke trailed behind the rosette, hands deep into his pockets. He should've brought money, dammit. He wanted those tomatoes. He wanted them _bad_. His eyes darted from Sakura to the tomatoes and back. He knew the reason why Kakashi always sent him with Sakura: To keep an eye on her. She was the only girl in the team, she was the only medical ninja—she needed to be protected. From everything male and ninja alike. One wrong hand on her, and she broke the "poor guy's"—as Naruto put it—arm. Sasuke thought the guy deserved it, but that was just him. Anyone in the team could have done that job, but apparently Kakashi thought that the sheer brawn of Sasuke's body kept any guy from so much as trying. Sasuke liked that job; he had personal permission to be as possisive of Sakura as he felt fit, to keep men from getting too handsy, of course.

But how could he be expected to pay attention to Sakura when _tomatoes_ were _right across from him_?

He wanted those tomatoes.

Meanwhile, Sakura smiled up at the salesman who was offering her his best leeks. "See, these are harvested at the best time, perfectly crunchy and pleasant," the salesman said. He was a pretty man, maybe twenty, with kind brown eyes and a killer smile. He had beautiful cheekbones and a head full of black hair. He was easy on the eyes, if Sakura did say so herself. The man's killer smile popped out as he plucked a pocketknife from his pocket and chopped a short leek. "Would a heavenly creature such as yourself like a taste?"

Sakura smiled. "Don't mind if I do," she said, reaching out to take the cut leek. But the man was quicker and he managed to grab her chin and push the leek into her mouth himself. A small red blush dusted her cheeks as she chewed. "Oh, uh, thanks," she stuttered awkwardly. Don't get her wrong, she was apt at the art of flirting; it was just that he'd caught her off-guard. Usually no one so much as looked at her if Sasuke was around.

The killer smile appeared. The man traced his fingers from her chip up to her lips. "My pleasure." His fingers were soft on Sakura's lips. "I haven't seen you around town. You must be new. My name is Hisoka. Yours?"

Sakura gave him a one-sided grin, much like Sasuke's smirk. "Sakura," she told him. "I won't be staying long, just stopping by for lunch."

Hisoka frowned lightly. It was just as stunning as his smile. Everything about this man was attractive. "Well, this could be the last time I see you," he said, almost remorsefully. "It's sad, to never see your exotic beauty again." Sakura almost rose a brow; this guy was good with words. She was impressed. "Might I treat you to dinner, Sakura?"

Sakura grinned. It'd been a while since she had a date. She was about to tell him that she was busy this week, but could do next week—she was going to have to come back on the way to Konoha—when Sasuke slung an arm around her shoulders. She blinked, shocked. She blushed profoundly, trying to step out of the one-armed embrace, but Sasuke tensed the muscles in his arm, telling her to _keep the hell still, dammit_.

"No, no you can't," Sasuke growled. His glare sent off daggers of lightning to the very core of Hisoka's body. "And she won't be needing those leeks either." With his arm around Sakura's shoulders, he led her away to the tomato stand. His mouth practically watered.

Sakura harrumphed. "What the hell was that?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"That was me keeping you concentrated," Sasuke answered monotonously. He pulled his arm away from her, internally regretting the loss of touch. He reached out to the tomatoes and grabbed one, thumbing the cool flesh of the fruit.

Sakura unknowingly copied Sasuke's tsk again. "Oh, I see, you wanted tomatoes and you couldn't even wait for me to tell him okay so I could get you some," she snapped at him. She took the tomato away from his hand and pulled out a few ryō to give to the nice elderly woman working the stand. "Well, guess _what_, Uchiha Sasuke?" She turning the tomato in her hand as Sasuke's mouth watered over it. "If you want this tomato, you'll have to take it from me," she challenged. Sakura punctuated her sentence by biting the tomato and walking away, her hips swaying as she walked.

Sasuke's eye twitched. What the hell was that about?

He trailed behind her, grabbing her pale wrist and pulling her to him. He frowned when he noticed that she'd eaten the tomato already, and that everything that was left was being chewed in her mouth. Sakura looked up at him defiantly, her green eyes glowing triumphantly. Her pretty pink lips were drenched in the fruit's juice. Sasuke smirked. He pressed his lips to hers, tracing her lips with his tongue, tasting what was left of the tomato on her lips. He smirked again when Sakura gasped, opening her mouth to him unintentionally. He explored the wet cavern of her mouth briefly before using his tongue to scoop out the chewed bits of tomato. He pulled away, smirking.

"I win," Sasuke said. He chewed slightly on the tomato, swallowing. He walked away in front of Sakura, walking towards the lettuce stand. He hadn't missed the way Sakura's face blushed as red as the tomato he'd taken.

**:: ::**

**I think you'll notice how this one is like my other story _The Tomato_. This is because I wanted to try my hand at the theme again and see if I've improved. What say you?**

**R&R.**


End file.
